Pipe wrench



Dec; 1931.

F. J. LEML-:Ns

PIPE WRENCH Filed April 15. 1930 gwuento Illia-:7.

Patented Dec. 29,` 193.1v

u NlrED STATES vim.'rflszmr 'oFFiC-Ep .i FRED J'. CLEMENS, OF EASTHAVEN, CONNECTICUT,-ASS1GNOR TO THE WILLIAM SCHOLL- I y vHoiaN COMPANY,vor NEWHAVEN, CONNECTICUT rrrn WRENCH 'f 'Y Applicationmea april 17,5,

This invention relates to pipe wrenches and `more particularly to a typeof the same known as sprlngless pipe` wrenches.

rhe improvements contemplated this invention are especially adapted foruse in' a wrench structureA similar to' that shownA andde'scribed in anappliationof William A. Bernard, Serial'No, 46,912, ledJulyl'29,`V

1925, now issued as Patent No. 1,7 62,324, dated J une 10, 1930.` One ofthe principal features of this invention is the provisionv of means torelieve the pivotal joint between the jaws from. shearing strains."Other features are in the provision of jaw movement limit` ing means,means to permit the rapid release or gripping of the work, and movablejaw guiding` and supporting means. d

One ofthe objects of this invention is to provide a generally improvedpiperwrench of the above type that is eiicient in use, economical tomanufacture, compact, and of strong and sturdy construction. i

Another object is toprovide an improved 'wrench in which the strains putupon the same are properly distributed, whereby ,the tendency towardbinding, breakage 'orbendfing of the parts when in use will be reducedto a minimum. 'i

'Another object lis to provide an improved wrench that may be readilyand rapidly en-` gaged with and disengaged from the work.

A further object is to provide an improved pipe wrench having a minimumnumber of parts all of whichare of rugged construction. i A' l To theseand other ends, the invention consists inthe novel featuresandlcombinations Fig. 3 is a section on line 3-'3 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a section on line 4 4 of Fig. 2; Fig, 5 is a section on line5-5 of Fig. 2, and

- form;

i930. seria; N0.,444,411.` 1

Fig. Gisla longitudinalsectionthrough the j i operating parts Vof thewrench, showing thet same in operating position. -V

A wrench embodying'the features of this invention comprises ahandle-'bar having a handle portion 10 and ajaw portion'11'a Vjaw 12having a shank portion 13, a yoke member 14, and `a rotatable adjustingYnut 15.V These parts are Vassembled together, preferably as shown, theyoke 14'being piv-Y otally-secured tol the handle-bar by a Vpivot pin16; The aw portion 11 and the jaw 12 are'provided withwork grippingvteeth 17 and 18 respectively that `are of the usual" Vshank 13, withthe arms-20 and 21 of theUJ shape straddling the sides of the shank 13`and extending downwardly to straddlethe handle-bar intermediate thejawportion 11 and the handle portionlO thereof. The pivot pin 16 isdisposed adjacent the forward or-"jaw endof the yoke 14. A block22 isdisposed at the rear end 4of yoke 14, between the arms 20 and 21, and issecured in place by a rivet 23; f Each Vof the arms 2O and 21 of theyoke member 14 is provided with' an opening 24 that is elongated alonganarc, the center of which is located at the 'center of the pivot pin16.- V'A stud 25 preferably formed'integral with the handle-bar, extendsoutwardly from cach side thereof and is adapted to be received in therespective opening 24 of arms 20V and 21 when the same are closed aboutthe bar; The yokemember 14 is also provided with a cutout 26 to receivethe nut 15, whereby rotationiof the nut, due to the cooperating threadsbetween itV and/the shank 13, will move.` the shank 134 in or out oftheyoke 14 andfjaw 12 toward or away from j aw portion 11, for adjustmentof the wrench to suit pipes ofvari'ous diameters.` Y u The shank portion13 is vertically retained within the yoke 14fby being supported upon Theshank portion 13 is provided" an upper surface 27 of the handle-baradjacent the pivot 16, the handle-bar at this point being spacedupwardly above the upper surface of the handle portieri 10. This spacingpermits the disposition of the block 22 between the rear end of shankportion 13 and the handle port-ion 10. This block provides the movementlimiting means for the yoke in its downwardly swinging movementrelatively to the handle-bar about the pivot 16, and for the downwardmovement ofthe rear end of shank portion 13 relatively to the yoke 14.The surface 27 is concave in cross-section, the curvature substantiallyagreeing with the curvature of the under-surface Aof the shank portion13 preferably as defined by the diameter of the threads 19, whereby theshankport-ion 13 with its jaw 12 is guided in its longitudinal,movementsand retained against lateral movement or twisting with respect to thehandle-bar when the wrench is in use. The surface 27 is inclined fromaVpoint slightly t0 the rear of a perpendicular line drawn through thecenter of pivot 16, forwardly and downwardly toward the jaw 11, theinclination being sufficient to permit the necessary swinging movementof the handle-bar for the proper operation of the wrench. Preferably,the forward end 28 of the upper surface' 27 is adapted to engage theunder-surface of the shank 13 before the work is properlygripped by thejaws in order that the shank 13 will be forced upwardly into tightengagement with the yoke 14. The arrangement of the inclined surface 27is such thatV no binding will occur between the handle-bar and the shankportion 13. v

The teeth 17 of the jaw 11 are in alignment and form an obtuse anglewith the upper surface of handle portion 10, and an acute angle with thesurface 27. The line of teeth is dis osed in respect to the pivot pin 16in suc i a manner that the same will be tangent toan are struck from thecenter of pivot 16 of a radius substantially equal to the distancebetween the first tooth adjacent the surface 27 and the center of ivot16. This arrangement insures that the jaw 11 in its swinging movementabout pivot 16, will rapidly move toward or away from the work, causingrapid gripping or release respectively of the work, and preventing thejaws binding upon the work.

The studs 25 that extend into and cooperate with the openings 24 in theyoke sides 2O and 2l, are adapted to seat against the material of theyoke at the lower ends of the openings 24, when the jaws 11 and 12 arein proper gripping position upon the work, in order to relieve the pin16 of shearing strains that might be caused by the handle-bar beingfulcrumed upon the shank 13, when the point 28 of surface 27 engages theunder-surface of the shank. This arrangement also distributes therotating force imposed upon the yoke 1.4 and shank portion 13 oversubstan tially the entire cooperating length thereof when the work isbeing rotated by the wrench about the axis of the work. The studs 25 andopenings 24 also cooperate to form a, movement limiting means for thejaws l] and 12 to prevent undue compression thereofl upon the work thatmight inadvertently crush the same.

The above described wrench structure has `been found to beespeciallystrong and slurdy, particularly eflicient m use, comparativelyinexpensive to manufacture and adapted for use where rapid operation isrequired. Being of few parts, all of which are of rugged structure, awrench of this construction insures a minimum of breakage or otherdamage, even under extreme rough usage, that would impair the usefulnessof such a wrench.

What I claim is:

In a pipe wrench, a handle member having a jaw on one end thereof, athreaded shank member having a. aw thereon in opposed relation to saidother jaw, an inverted U-shaped yoke member embracing said shank memberwith the closed upper portion of the U-shapc disposed closely adjacentthe upper surface of said shank and with an arm thereof eX-tendingldownwardly along each side of said handle member, said yokemember adjacent one end thereof being pivoted to said handkmember by apivot pin, said yoke member having an arcuately elongated opening ineach of the arms of the U-shape thereof, a stud integral with andextending from each side of said handle member and into the arcuateopening in the adjacent arm of said yoke member, which is spreadable tospring over said studs, and a block between the arms of said yoke memberadjacent the end opposite the pivoted end thereof and disposed betweensaid threaded shank member and said handle member in line with theelongated openings in said arms and secured to said arms to retain thearm portions of said yoke member at the end opposite the aw end thereofin spaced apart relation and againsil spreading and becoming releasedfrom said studs.

In witness whereof, I have hereunto sel my hand this 10th day of April,1930. FRED J. CLEMENS.

